Lock casing



Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

STATES f HARRY SOREF, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

LOCK CASING.

Application filed October 3,v 1921.

To all iff/20m it may concern.'

Be it known that I. HARRY E. Sonar, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Milwaukee. county of Milwaukee, and Sta-te of illiscoiisin. have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lock Casings; and I do declare the following to be a clear, exact, and complete description thereof, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which the inven tion pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing` for an illustrationof some forms inv which my invention has been embodied.

My invention relates to an improved structure of the casing of a lock, and I have chosen to illustrate my invention inconnection with thevconstruction of a padlock. but the features of the invention are such that its use is not necessarily limited to padlock casings. but is applicable to use in connection with locks of other designs.

Padlocks for instance, are provided with casings. which in the better class of locks are in the shape of castings or forgings, which are milled or machined so as to permit the proper adaptation of the other elements of the lock to the casting or forging. In the cheaper locks, the casing is composed of stamped shells which are so formed or 'drawn into shape that when a pair of such shells is assembled and united, a lock casing .is produced in. which the operating elements of the lock may be arranged without the milling or machining operations which are necessary in connectionl with the casing when it is made from the casting or forging. The solid lock first described is preferable by reason of its integral structure and corresponding weight. It has a strength and solidity not easily attained in the construction of a lock of the second type described. But the milling or machining operations necessary to the production of the solid lock make it much more expensive to produce when compared with the cost of producing a lock with a stamped casing of the cheaper type.

The demand for a cheap lock which will have all'of the elements of solidity and strength` as well as weight. as in the type of lock first described, has induced me to depart materially from -the ordinary methods as above described in the manufacture Serial No. 504,828.

- of lock'casings. My invention has resulted in a lock casing which has the desirable features of the lock first described and yet which is -capable of production at suc-h a low cost as to enable it to compete with the cheaper locks of the second type.

My improved lock casing is constituted as a laminated structure, and is produced by blanking the sections embodying the laminations of the casing, so that it is not necessary to perform any milling orr machining operation uponthe said laminations or the casing structure, after the elements thereof are assembled. The blanking operations necessary to produce the laminated sections pf the lock casing are performed by a punching press, equipped with complemental sets of dies so formed as to produce laminations of the several shapes or outlines which are used in building 11p-the lock casing. Certain-of the laminations act as wards. so that only the keyv which pertains thereto may be used to operate the lock, and other laminations will be formed so as to meet the situationsI arising in lock construction as will be hereinafter described. After the several laminationsl have been assembled in the desired order, suc-h laminations are secured together by means of rivets passed transversely through registering holes provided therefor in the several laminations. In the act of assembling the laminations, the elements which constitute the locking mechanism are inserted in proper position in the spaces provided therefor in the laminations. It is not necessary to per` form any milling or machining operations upon lthe laminations after they leave the punching press and before they are assembled to constitute a unitary lock casing. Nor is it necessary` to perform'any suc operations upon the casing. inasmuch as the assembling of the laminations results in a completed lock casing.

A great advantage which flows from my invention is that the material employed in the production of the laminations is available to the manufacturer without any cost attached thereto. Such laminations are punched from the small scrap which is created in very llarge quantities in manufacturing establishments` operating punching presses.

The novel features residing in my invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a padlock, in which the casing is constituted of a plurality of horizontal sectional plates or laminations.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the lock shown in Fig. 1, showing the laminated structure as well as the interior arrangement of the locking elements.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, and Showingthe top of the lock cas- 1n lig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the lock casing, and showing the opening through which the key may be passed.r

A Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the laminavtions which has no function other than to act as a filler in the construction of the lock casing and as a guide for the post of the shackle. f, l

Fig. 6 is a plan -view of one of the laminations specially formed for the reception of the spring, which, in certain types of padlocks, retains the shackle. in vlocking position. f

Fig.`7 is a plan view of one` of the laminations which is designed to act as a ward or guardl against the operation of the lock except by the 'key appropriate thereto.

Fig. 8y is a plan -view of a lamination specially formed for the purpose of retaining the post'of the shackle in its position in the lock casing, the lamination' shown being 4also adapted to actas a Ward.

Fig.' 9 is a perspective view of the spring employed in' the typ'e of padlock illustrated,

for the purposeof retaining the shackle in its locked position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the casing of a padlock, the operating elements of which may be of usual form. Myv invention relates to the said casing, as will be hereinafter described. The casing is provided with a shackle 11i, the post 12 of vwhich is seated in a deep bore formed at one end of the casing, and the' free end 13 of which is seated in a locking depression formed in the top of the lock, latthe other end thereof.

In my invention, the casing 10 is formed by the assemblage and superpositioning of a. plurality. ofmet'al plates, so

stitute a laminated structure. The sev.-

`era1 separate laminations which are a'ssembledto complete the lockV casing will each be produced by the operation of a punching press, in which the dies will be so formed and arranged as to produce in the several sections the necessary outline, according to the function to be discharge the laminations. l i All .of the lamnations will be-perforated casing of the lock structure. as to con- Medea? as indicated' at 111, for the reception of rivets 15` by means of which the several laminations constituting the lock casing are brought into alignment and secured together into a unitary structure.

I The bottom lamination orplate 16 may be perforated for the reception of a rotating plug 17, which will be slotted as at 18, for the entry of the key 19 which is used in the operation of thelock. The top lamination or plate 2O will be perforated atl each end as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Through one of vsuch perforations the post 12 of the ,shackle is passed, and in the other perforation the free end 13 of the shackle is seated when the lock khas been operated to locking position, the two perforations engaging the shackle in the manner described and preventing the rotation thereof, until afterthe free end 13 has been released from the socket, as stated.

A plurality of laminations will be interposed between the bottom plate 16 and the by t e size of the lock. These intermediate laminations will be variously formed.

In the main they will havev theconiguation shown' in Fig. 5, in which the filler lamination 21 is provided witha perforation 22 for the guidance of the post 12 of the shackle and a perforation23, in which the key 19 will be free to Irotate. 'A lamination having the functions of award, the object'of which is' to prevent the operation ofthe lock by any key other than the one appropriate thereto is indicated by the numeral 24 in Fig. 7. This ward section C.will be formed with a post receiving perforation 22 and a central slot 25 somewhat enlarged at its middle, so as to permit the rota-tion of a key which i's reduced in diameter at a point in register with the ward section, so that .nations constituting Ithe casing are brought int'o alignment and secured together by the rivets 15, the function of the said lamina- -tion 26 being to prevent the removal of the shackle from the lock easing after the assembly of the several parts constituting the notedthat the opening 221 in the lamination 26 is of a somewhat irregular diameter, ,theV latter however being suiiicient to admit the insertion of the post therein. At its outer'side, the opening 221 is provided vwith a straight wall 222 which projects inwardly 'and destroys the Acontinuity of the rear circular wall of the postreceiving It will bes hole. when the laminations are aligned as y in Fio. 2. The projectingwall 222 is designed for engagement with the circumferential groove 27,for1ned about the post 12 near the lower end thereof. The post retaining lamination 26 may have its central opening formed as a ward 25. or not, as may be expedient. The rear side of the post 12 immediately above the circumferential groove 27` is flattened as at 2S, which flattened portion will bear against the flat wall 222 -of the post retaining section 26 when the laminations are assembled, and thus prevent the rotation of the shackle until after the straight surfaces 28 and 222 have been disengaged by the upward movement of the post 12` to withdraw the free end 13 of the shackle 11 from the receiving socket formed in the flat plate 20.

An expansion spring 29, seated in a bore in the lower end of the post 12, and resting upon the bottom lamination or plate tends normally to eject the post from the position. The action of the said spring will move the flat surface 28 along the straight wall 222 of the lamination 26` until the said straight wall 222 is coincident with the groove 27 encircling the lower end of the post 12. At such time the post is tree to be rotated, by reason of the reduced diameter thereof formed by the groove 27, and the shackle may be turned as desired.

The inside of the post 12 is cnt away so as to form a notch 30, in which enter laterally from opposite sides of the post, the ends 31` and 32. of a fiat spring 33, having the U-shape indicated in Figs. 6 and 9. ln order to provide properly for the location of the said spring in the lock casing, certain of the laminations indicated at 34 in Fig. 6. will be provided with elongated openings 35, for the reception of the said spring. rThe length of such openings 35 will be such that the bend at the rear of the spring 34 will rest against the wall formed by the contiguous end of the slot 35, and thus hold the said spring so that the free ends 31 and 32 thereof will be maintained in proper relation to the notch 30 in the post 12` The approximately parallel arms of the spring 33 will be separated by the bit 36 of the key 19, when the wards 25 of the lock casing have permitted the rotation of the key. The separation of the arms of the spring by the bit of the key removes their free ends from their engagement with the notch 30 in the post 12, and the said post will instantly respond to the impulse of the expansion spring 29.

ing member 17 and other laminations constituted as mere fillers or as wards will be assembled thereon, the order of the assembly being determined by the. arrangementy of the wards which is desired. After a. given number of filler and ward laminations have been superposed on the bottom lamination 16, aretaining lamination 26 will be positioned, and this in turn will be followed by the further assembly of filler and ward laminations until the desired number of wards, correctly spaced. has been assembled. Then will occur the placing of the spring receiving laminations 3-1 upon tbe stack. and the spring 33 will be placed in the perforations therein. The parts thus loosely assembled are sufficiently aligned for the insertion of a key 19. for the purpose of separating the ends of the spring sutliciently to enable the post 12 to be^ passed into the casing at the proper time. The assembly is completed by imposing the top lamination 20 upon the structure. The larger diameter of the perforation 221 in the postretainng lamination 26 admits of sufficient longitudinal movement of this particular lamination to create a clear passage for the post 12 carrying the spring 29 into its proper position in the casing. By depressing the shackle until the free end 13 thereof is seated in the recess. formed in the top lamination 20, the spring 29 will be compressed. and the flat surface 28 will be presented opposite the straight wall 222 of the post retaining lamination 26. By imparting a sliding movement to the said lamination 26 the plane surfaces 28 and 222 will be brought into proximity, so that the said straight wall 222 will project beyond the circular wall of the well in which the post is inserted. At such time, the rivet holes 14 in each of the laminations forming the casing are in alignment. ReverseV movement of the key 19 will release the separate ends of the spring 33, and permit such ends to enter the notch 30 in the post 12. By inserting rivets in the perforations 14 and heading the ends thereof the structure of the lock casing is completed. The exterior of the casing may be. finished by any desired treatment.

My improved lock possesses all of the desirable attributes inhering to the better class of locks. by reason of its solidity and durability. The weight imparted to the lock casing by reason of the solidity thereof is a. very desirable feature. As 'before stated, the building up of the lock casing by laminations which are produced by punching scrap material has enabled me to produce a lock of superior quality at an inconsiderable cost. Although have shown and described my invention as embodied in a padlock it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms than that which is shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by 'Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a lock, a casing comprising aiplurality of connected laminations, some of which are cut out to accommodate l*the operating elements of the lock.

2. In Ya lock, 'a casing comprising a plurrality of assembled laminations provided with a key passage, some of such laminations being provided with projections which extend into the said passage to guard .the key. 3. In a lock, ashackle, a casing'composed of a plurality of lamina-tions, the said laminations being connected to constitute a uni- I tary structure, some of such laminations being perforated for the reception of the post of the shackle of the lock, and means for 'securing the shackle in position in the casing.

4f. In a lock, a shackle, a plurality of laminations united to constitute. a casing, and means formed as a part of one of the laminations to retain the shackle in rthe casing.

5. In a lock, a. shackle, a locking spring therefor, a casing composed of a plurality of laminations connected to constitute a unitary Structure some; of the 'said laminations being cut out interiorly of the casing to ao- Memos? commodate the locking elements, others of the laminations being formed with key guards, and means to retain the'shackle in the casing. 4

6.111 a lock, acasing composed of laminations'of substantially like contours secured together to constitute an integral and unitary struc-ture Aand having annnbroken exterior surface extending transversely to the planes of the laminations.

7. Ina lock, a. casing composed of laminated platessome of which are provided with openings for the accommodation of the operating elements of the lockand othersi with interior .projections forming key guards, the said laminated plates being secured together to constitute an integra-l and unitary structure having an unbroken exterior surface extending transversclyto the .planes of the said plates.

In 'testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, this 27th day of September, 1921.

HARRY E. sonEF.

lvVitne'es:

W. F. Woomnn, J. G. KoNoP. 1/ 

